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Dur Comspmiknts.
Pur Ibc Index and Baptist.]
THE TREE OF LIFE.
Dear Index.— The first mention of
the Tree of Life in the Word of God
occurs in Gen. ii:2: “And on the
seventh day, God ended His work
which He had made, and rested on the
seventh day from all His work which
He had made. And God blessed the
seventh day and sanctified it; because
that in it He had rested from all His
work, which God created and made.
The solemn observance of one day in
seven, teaches us, as a day of holy
rest, and holy work, to God s honor, is
the dispensable duty binding on us a I,
to whom God has revealed His holy
Sabbath—to keep it holy. Sabbath
sanctification is the good old way, and
walk therein, and ye shal find rest for
your souls —Jer. :16. The writer has
learned, by experience, there is no sub
stantial rest for the soul, until we first
learn to keep the Sabbath holy unto
the Lord, to sanctification ot the on
ward, progressive life.
Sabbaths are as ancient as the world,
and I see no reason to doubt that the
Sabbath, being now instituted in inno
cency, was religiously observed by the
people of God, throughout the patri
archal age. The Sabbath of the Lord
i“ truly* honorable, for its antiquity,
and for, the sanctification of the
first Sabbath by God Himself, and in
obedience to Him, by our first pa
rents in itinocency. It is a blessed
day, and wo should bail the ever re
curring Sabbath with delight, and
make preparation for it, for God
blessed it, honored it, appointed us
on that day to bless Him, and prom
ised to meet and bless us.
We read, “Out of the ground the
Lord made every tree to grow, that
was pleasant to the sight and good
for food; tho treo of life, also, in the
midst of the garden.” Its uso, in tho
unfallen and sinless world, is also,
subsequently described, or rather im
plied, in those words: “Lest he put
forth his hand and take of tho tree
of life, and eat and live forever;
therefore tho Lord God sent him
forth.” Wo read, also, that the
cherubim and tho flaming sword, ap
pointed “to keep the way of the tree
of life.” Thus things continued, as
far as we can ascertain, till the de
luge. Man was kept within sight of
Eden, and the flaming cherubim, and
the tree of life, visible to all that looked,
as if to teach him that having lost tho
original righteousness, which entitled
him,in his unfallen condition, to gather
the first of that glorious tree, he must
now be provided with arightoousnes.at
least as perfect as that which he had
lost, before his access could be re
stored, and thus only could ho recover
the condition of joy, and freedom, and
life, which was forfeited.
The second paradise, wo are sure, is
the counterpart of tho first, only fairer
and more beautiful by far, the second
Adam, who is tho Lord from Heaven,
and his ransomed and spotless bride,
shall re-enter and dwell in that pre
dicted and nearing paradise, in which
blight, and death, and docay shall be
strangers forever. Tho treo in the
midst of it shall not be the monopoly
of a few, but tho privilege and posses
sion of all—tho sacrament of our im
mortality—tho symbol of our depen
dence—tho evidence of our creature
ship, and the testimony to a witnes
sing and surrounding universe, that
God alone is the fountain of all being,
the source of all happiness, and that
on Him the universe depends. The
word “tho treo of life,” is literally “a
word of life,” and seems to me to be
associated in Scripture with the cross
of Christ, for it is the same word which
is used in Acts 5:30, “whom ye slow
and hanged on a tree;” and also in
I Peter, 11:24, “He bare our sins in
His own body on a tree.” May it not
mean that tho atonement shall be, and
be seen to be, in Heaven, what it has
been felt to be by believers on earth,
the source of spiritual life ? Thus the
instrument of death becomes the source
of life—the emblem of shame, that of
honor; and Paul may sing in glory,
what he so heroically proclaims in
g raco _“God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto me,
and I unto the world.” So should we,
too, sing and act, and say, as did the
blessed Paul. The leaves of this tree
are said to bo “for healing of the na
tions” of the earth. Tho promise,
therefore, implies that the leaves of
this tree will boa glorious contrast with
the fig-leaves which Adam formed into
a raiment for himself, in order to hide
his sin, but which, in his and all other
cases, perished in the using.
The leaves of this treo shall possess
everlasting verdure, fragrance and
beauty, and bo evidence to all the mil
lennial company that there is nothing
ia creation which sin has blasted which
God has not retouched, restored, and
beautified. The leaves of trees are
■useless to man now, the fruit alone is of
service to him; but in that better state
nothing shall be supernumerary, noth
ing useless; there shall be nothing that
does not serve; all shall bo precious
in itself, and practically minister to the
joys of the people of God.
If this tree of life be as some re
gard it, the symbol of Jesus Christ
himself, then it sets forth Him as the
origin and fountain of life to all living
beings. “In Him is life,” says the
evangelist. Every creature now re
ceives life from Him—alike the mean
est reptile and the mightiest angel;
but especially may we suppose that this
tree represents the Lord of glory, as
the great fountain of spiritual life to
His believing people. The life of jus
tification is not the least important
blessing that we receive from Him.
Being justified by faith, we live; yet
not we, hut Christ liveth in us. “Whose
eateth my flesh hath everlasting life.”
In Him, we derive a life of holiness;
because He is the Holy One, we are
saints ; He makes us holy upon earth,
that is, like Himself, and presents us
spotless to Himself, when we shall see
Him as He is. God’s life in the heart
now effloresces into holiness of charac
ter then, so that the outward man be
comes the reflection and exponent of
the inward soul. Christ also is the
fountain of our life of happiniss. “I
sat down under His shadow, and His
fruit was sweet to my taste.” He will
open to us visions of happiness and joy,
such as angels have never seen. The
air we breathe and the waters we drink
shall be happiness; He is the fountain
also of a life of dignity and royalty.
We shall bo kings and priests unto God;
we shall wear not the perishable crowns
that are reared by human hands, found
in human palaces—but crowns of glory
that fade not away. He also will be’to
us the source of progressive life ; how
glorious and beautiful to tho eye of
“ faith,” to march on through Im
manuel’s ground around the Tree of
Life, to fairer worlds on high.
This is the essential characteristic of
real life, of true greatness. All living
things grow, and surely that Divine life
shall not be an exception. Endless ages
generation after generation will add
to, not diminish in the least, or dilute
the happiness of the people of God.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper is a vis
ible sign, a standing monument, the
“Tree of Life.” Buried with Christ in
baptism, we rise from the watery grave
to walk in newness of life and glorify
God.
Baptism, by living faith, “doth also
now savo us (not the putting away of
tho filth of the flesh, hut tho answer of
a good conscience toward God) by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is
gone into Heaven, and is on the right
hand of God; angels and authorities
and powers being made subject unto
Him.” Baptism is a religious rite.
The Lord’s supper is a religious rite.
Jesus Christ erjoined tho performance
of them by all His followers.
By obeying His commands in this re
spect, we show that we have faith in
Ohi'ist ac our only .Saviupr j that we
love Him, acknowledge His authority
over us, and desire to be like him. May
we, as followers then, with our dear,
dying Lord, and now risen and ascend
ed Saviour, seek more sincerely and
heartily, a place in glorious Christ’s
magnificent church, before the throne
of God and the Lamb ; and so
sit securely and sweetly beneath the
shadow and eat of the pleasant fruit
so sweet to the taste, the “Tree of
Life.” F. C. A.
Washington, Ga.
For the Index and Baptist.]
MINUTES OF THE GENERAL MEETING FOURTH
DISTRICT MIDDLE ASSOCIATION.
Corinth Church, Effingham Cos., Ga., \
January 28, 1876. J
The General Meeting of the Fourth
District, convened with the above
named church at 11 o’clock a.m. The
introductory sermon was preached by
elder J. C. Edwards, from I Cor. 1
chap. 30-31 verse.
Letters were read from the follow
ing named churches : Corinth, New
Providence, Springfield and Turkey
Branch.
The names of messengers enrolled
were as follows: Corinth—Elder R.
L. J. Grant,Elder J. C. Edwards; Dea
con J. A. Edwards; New Providence—
Jno. M. Spier, Wm. Cannet, Wesley
Cannet; Springfield—Deacon J, J.
Hiuely ; Turkey Branch—Henry A.
Wallace, Jas. Edwards.
Elder R. L. J. Grant was elected
Moderator, and Henry A. Wallace
Clerk.
On motion the meeting then adjourn
ed till 10:30 o’clock a.m., Saturday.
SATURDAY SESSION.
Met at 10:30 a.m. After prayer by
Rev. H. T. Alexander, correspondents
were invited. Brother C. T. J. Siu
gellton, from the 2d District, accepted.
Minutes of yesterday’s proceedings
read and adopted, after which brother
C. F. Foy reported as messenger from
Elirn church, and was received.
The attention of the meeting was
called to a resolution of the Associa
tion, inviting the Sabbath-school to
meet with us by messengers. The
Moderator extended the invitation, and
the following schools accepted, and the
names of the messengers were enrolled
as follows : Corinth School—Dr. R. G.
Norton, Miss Sarah Edwards, Miss
Bertha Lee, Miss Mattie Remly ; Pine
Grove School —A. S. Cannet, brother
Futrell; Turkey Branch School—H. A.
Wallace.
The Missionary’s Report was then
called for, read, and unanimously
adopted ; it is as follows:
missionary’s report.
I began my labors as your missionary No
vember 14th, 1875. Since that time I have
kept up regular preaching at sister Mallett’s,
on the Savannah river, Thursday night before
the first Sabbath in each month. I consider
this a good field, and one that ought to have
Sabbath preaching. Igo from there to Mr.
McFales' and preach the following night,
where I have very good congregations. Igo
from thereto brother Helmly's, where I preach
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH- WESTE
the first Sabbath in each montfi. Here the con
gregations are good. I consider this a very
important field. I also preach at Crawford’s
Mill the second Sabbath in each month. Here
the congregations are larg£ and attentive. Bv
special request, I have established a regular
station for monthly preaching at brother Hun
ter’s, near the Ogeecbee river. I also preach
once in each month at Bush Arbor. This I
consider, truly, a missionary field. .1 have
preached one time at brother Pitman's; twice
at Burgstiner Academy; one time at Pine
Grove Academy, and at private
houges. I have visited of the
churches as possible.
I have been engaged 46 traveled 411
miles, preached 25 sermons ; 6 pray
ar meetings; visited 4 made 47
family visits.
Brethren, pray for me that the work may
prosper in my hands, and that I may be an
humble instrument in the hands of God in
bringing many to the knowledge of the truth,
as it is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
R. Lys. GittNT
January 28th, 1876. wwfflksion.ary.
For the Index and Baptist.)
“PASS UNDER TUHTCOD.”
It has been said by one of old time
that “The Lord doth not willingly af
flict, nor grieve the children of men,”
“But though He cause grief, yet will
He have compassion according to the
multitude of his tender mercies.”
How surely would i*<.poor, erring
mortals rush on to destruction, were it
not for the interposition of Divine
power; in the pursuits 6-f business, in
the eager search for money, in pleas
ure’s giddy whirl, in k peeling. humble
devotees, at the shrine of capricious
fashion, we forget, in the enjoyment of
the gifts, the goodness of tho Giver, on
whom our noblest, most exalted
thoughts should dwell with rapture
and thankfulness; unmindful of the
things that pass away With hurrying
time, which bears us so swiftly on to
an eternity of happiness or woe. We
should not inurmer at the intervention
of our Heavenly Father, though He
lay a chastening hand upon us ; though
we are checked in our mad career, our
reckless sporting in the pathway to the
tromb, we should he thankful for those
tender mercies. The Omnipotent Euler
casts into the crucible our words,
thoughts and deeds, and tries them by
the fire of affliction till the dross of
our character is consumed, and the
gold purified to living brightness.
Why does the dark cloud of afflic
tion hang loworingly o’er the life of
that honored man who is surrounded
with wealth and every luxury of life,
and to whose will that of others bends ?
though his home has hitherto resound
ed with music and laughter, it is now
.the house of mourning ; for the angel
of death has entered aud bourn away
the darling of the liwUuild, and he
weeps unavatlftig teftWlrW-tferifraiV
casket, that held the immortal spirit of
the idol he worshiped and found it
clay.” Dry thy tears heart-stricken
mourner, thy afflictions are but the
tender mercies of Him who smites to
heal; perform, more strictly, thy du
ties to thy fellowmau, and thank fer
vently the Chastener for calling thee,
ere it was too late, so, bow in submis
sion to His will, and in accents divine,
said to thee in thy mighty sorrow:
“I love thee, I love thee, pass under the rod.”
In our tempetuous passage from
“shore to shore,” our frail life barque
would be wrecked upon the reefs of
disappointment and sorrow, and our
craft, with its precious cargo, would be
plunged into tlie dark waters of des
pair that flow around us, were it not
for our Heavenly Father, who pilots
us safely o’er the stormy deep. How
calmly, sweetly, we can sleep when wo
know that He, in His own good time,
will bid the troubled waves, “Peace, be
still. ” Ida Lou Murphy.
Cusseta, February 2, 1876.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Editors Index —Please allow me to
acknowledge, in The Index, the re
ceipt of the following sums, to aid in
liquidating the indebtedness of the
Home Board :
Prom S. A. Leonard, Mt. Zion
church, $6.60; Eev. E. D. Mallary,
Thomasville church, SIO.OO ; Eev. P.
Smalls, Grahamville church, S. C.,
$2.00; A. G. Parrott, Saulsburry
church, Tennessee, $5.00; G. R.
Hughes, Mt. Moriah church, Missouri,
$4.35; Mrs. M. J. Williams, Macon
church, Mississippi, $2.00; Fork, of
Broad Eiver church, $4.75 ; C. J. Miles,
Dixons’ Mills church, Alabama, §ll.OO.
Total, $46.95. S. Boykin.
Macon, Ga.
For the Index and Baptist.]
CORRECTION.
Dear Index —ln your last issue,
I see it stated that Rev. Jas. Kilpatrick
has left the school at Hephzibah, etc.
As my brother has never been connect
ed with the school at this place, I pre
sume allusion is had to myself.'
I beg to state that I have not with
drawn from the Hephzibah High
School, but have simply been excused,
for the present, by the other teachers.
Yours, W. L. Kilpatrick.
Hephzibah, Ga., January 31,1876.
The Only Way to Cook Cabbage
Right. —Parboil in milk and water,
equal quantities, then drain and sherd
up ; put into a stew pau with a small
lump of butter, a tea cup of cream ;
add pepper and salt, and stew till ten
der aud done.
y
—We are likewise indebted to Rev.
E. M. Northen and J. M. Rushing for
pleasant calls.
The trials that come upon us are
only the faithful performance of God’s
everlasting engagements.
Select fftscdlaim.
nr THE DEAD.
She lay in her chamber, peaceful and still,
And silent, as all of us some day will.
Her hands held fast, on her marble breast,
A lotus-lily, in dreams of rest.
Her eyes were shut on the world of men,
Never to weep, and grow dim again
At the sorrowful story of grief and loss,
Or darken with pain at the weight of a cros
And her lips were shut close, as if to keep
The secrets of death and its wonderful sleep.
11 Waken, darling.” he cried, and laid
His hands on the clasped bands of the maid.
“ Or is it slumber not that holds you here,
In this strange white silence ? Answer dear;
“ Open your lips, as a flower unfolds,
And tell me the secrets your silence holds.
“ Lift from that are waxen white,
The gold of and let the light
“ Of eyes, the sweetest I ever knew,
Like the sky at sunset, tremble through.
“ I forget ! You are deaf to th'j words I say,
The soul that would answer has gone away.
“ Dewl't ■lead ? Oh, you are not! It cannot be !
Waken, darling, and answer me.
“See ! here is a rose, a great white rose,
Sweet as true love is, and pansy-blows
“All wot with the tears of the angels. Wake,
And take them and wear them, for love's sweet
sake.
I clasp your hand in my own, and cry,
s it u?h a terrible thing to die ?'
“ The hardest lot is to live, and know
That a face is hidden in grass or snow,
“That was fairost of all things under the sun ;
To think that the droam of all dreams is done.
“To know that tho years, bathey many or few,
Will be years of longing and grief for you !
“My swoet, dead rose ! If I lay by your side,
If I had died on tho day you died,
“ And the same low grave that will cover you
Could shut us botli from the the world we knew,
“Away from the woe and ills that fret,
From loss, and longing, and all regret,
“ Oh, love, such slumber would be so sweet,
Wrappod in daises from head to feet,
“ Or snow that is white as the cheeks I kiss,
Where tho roses were that I so much miss.
“ But that cannot he ! You will rest and dream,
Like a lily asleep on an eddied stream,
“ While I g j on with the tide of life.
And think of you in its fiercest strife,
" Think of my love with tho pansy eyes,
And tho somotimo gladness of Paradise.
“ For over there, when the end shall come
Of waiting and sleeping, no longer dumb
“ To tho words I utter, your lips will moot
My own in a kiss that is wondrous sweet.
“ Oh, pure, white love! Take one last long kiss,
To keep while the time of our waiting is ;
“ And give it back in that realm so fair,
With Paradise-bloom on your sun touched hair ;
"Andso—good-bye! But good-morning there}'’
From the Ixn<lon Bintistuj ‘ 1 -m
1)R. ANGUS ON THE REVISION OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT.
In a lecture delivered at Accrington
last week, by Dr. Angus, one of the
committee appointed for the revision
of the Bible, some curious incidents
were mentioned showing the difficulties
which the revisers found in fixing upon
a suitable English word or expression
to literally interpret the Hebrew and
Greek. What, asked Dr. Angus, was
the original text of Scripture, and what
were the views of ou* - modern transla
tors ? How far might they confide in
them, and how far might they trust
them ? It might illustrate the im
portance of those questions if he took
an instance or two. There was the
passage in Timothy which said, “With
out controversy great is the mvstery of
godliness; God was manifest in the
flesh.” As corrected the text read,
“ Great is the mystery of godliness,
who was manifest in the flesh.” There
was another passage in John, “ No man
hath seen God at any time, the only
begotten Son, who is in the bosom of
the Father, He hath declared Him.”
If that text were corrected as it needed
to be, it would read, “No man hath
seen God at any time ; God only begot
ten, who is in the bosom of the Father,
He hath revealed Him.” In those two
instances—in one case the word God
went into the margin, and in the other
came into the text. In Acts viii: 7,
was a text they, as Baptists, were just
ly proud of. It was the question of
the eunuch and Phillip’s reply, “What
doth hiuder me from being baptized ?”
Phillip said, “ Dost thou believe ?” and
he replied, “I do believe.” Now, as a
matter of fact, there was not a single
ancient manuscript that contained that
verse. “ That was a bad thing for the
Baptists,” some might say. He did
not know about that. He dared say
they would find the truth somewhere
else, but their purpose was to ascer
tain what the words of the inspired
writers were, and to keep them from
no man. There was no necessity to
advance truth by misrepresentation.
Those three passages touched upon the
Unitarian controversy and the Baptist
controversy, and it was important that
they clearly understood what the Scrip
ture was. Whether the passages re
mained as they were or were altered
into the margin, the two great truths
they taught were practically uutouch
ed. With respect to the verses about
Phillip and the eunuch, the explana
tion of how it came there was because
it was the question put to the converts
when they came to be baptized, and
some copyist probably inserted a mar
ginal reading into the text. They had
lost a text but gained a confirmation
of a piece of history. In illustration
of the difficulties of finding suitable
English words to represent the Greek
and Hebrew, Dr. Angus said he believ
ed that no translation could do perfect
justice to] the Greek or Hebrew. For
!RN BAPTIST.
instance, there was the word “ publi
cans.” The New Testament Eevision
Company spent more than two hours
over it. It was said on one side it was
dishonoring a respectable class of peo
ple to class them with sinners, and
that it was extremely desirous to strike
that out. What should they put in
its place? A farmer of taxes, said
one ; thereupon a bishop rose and said,
“ I must implore my brethen not to in
sert that, or we country clergymen
shall never hear the last of it.” “But
it is farmer of revenues,” said the sug
gester. “ Ah, but the farmer is there,”
said the bishop, “ he will never mind
the revenues, but will say you have
put him among the sinners.” The fact
was that they had not a word in Eng
lish that would represent it. The;Eo
raans used to let out their taxes to be
gathered the same as we did our toll-
they had to get what they
These revenue gatherers were
■pur toll-bar would be with
•kble of many would
■ -
rBBB- word.
Tlioti the worn “bishop” Areateda dif
ficulty. The word meant one who
took an oversight. iTo doubt over
sight and overseer would be a good
word if they could venture to use it.
The bishop of Gloucester said that
whatever satisfied his Dissenting
brethren would satisfy him. He said,
“ if Dr. Angus likes to be called Over
seer Angus, I have no objection.”
Now in his district an overseer meant
one who looked after the poor, and
collected the poor-rate, and they rather
objected. The difficulty was to get a
word that would be justice to it. They
had never been able to translate the
word penny. The Eoman word was
denari. When we read, “ Agreed with
them for a penny a day,” we were apt
to think it was very little, whereas it
represented some Bs. or 10s. of our
money. Two pence was as much as a
good man could earn by two days’
work. It was said they should put
half a crown, but that would be inac
curate, as there were no half-crowns in
those days. It was suggested they
should do as their Anglo-American
brethren had done, translate it “ Agreed
with them for a denari a day,” and the
Dean of Westminister said, after tak
ing it over for a week, it might be
read, “ Agreed with them for a dean
ery a day,” and they would think that
was not very bad pay. Another
source of difficulty was that when the
former translators did their work they
thought it juster to Scripture to rep
resent the same Greek word by the
.%nunjftr of different English
words, 'so as to bring out more rfllty
the sense. The effect of that rule had
been most disastrous. Take the single
word ordained. It had this meaning
theologically defined, predestination.
God ordained so and so, destining and
determining what should be. Eccle
siastically it was an important word,
because the Church of England spoke
of ordination and ordained ministers,
and Nonconformist ministers some
times spoke of the same thing. If he
wanted to know what the Scripture
taught upon that point he would look
in “ Cruden’s Concordance,” and find
out the passage where it was mention
ed ; but when he found out that it
meant different things in different
places, the concordance was of no help.
Asa matter of fact, that word “ordain
ed” represented ten entirely different
words in the Greek, and in three
fourths of the passages where the word
was used it did not represent ordained
in either of the senses, but au entirely
different Greek word. In passages
referring to future punishment they
had the same thing occurring. The
word “hell” was used to represent two
entirely different things. In one place
it was a place of torment, in another it
meant the unseen place into which all
passed, a place that included Paradise
on one side, a place of suffering on the
other. When they turned by a concor
dance to such passages, where hell was
used it was simply misleading.
A CHEERING REPORT.
At a grand temperance entertain
ment given by Wm. E. Dodge, Esq.,
at his residence in New York, Dr. Mc-
Cosh, of Princeton, Dr. Hopkins, of
Williams College, and James H. Eaper,
of the British Temperance Alliance,
made earnest and impressive appeals in
behalf of the temperance reform.
Among other notable statements made
by Mr. Eaper was the following :
There are at this time within the province
of Canterbury alone upward of one thousand
parishes in which there is neither public house
nor beer-shop, and where, in consequence of
the absence of these inducements to crime and
pauperism, according to evidence before the
committee, the intelligence, morality and com
fort of the peop’e are such as the friends of
temperance would have anticipated.
—The Patrons have gone to work n
earnest to raise funds for the purpose
of building a National Grange Temple
at the headquarters in Louisville,
Ky. For this purpose they have insti
tuted the new “Degree of the Golden
Sheaf,” which can be taken by any
member of the Order, or others, who
will contribute one dollar to be expen
ded in building the temple.
Camp Spring Grange, No. 388, “has
not lost a member in two years,” (and
always prompt in reports) writes
brother W. J. Joiner, W. M.
For the Index and Baptist.]
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
Few people outside of the craft have
any idea of the “trials and tribulations”
of the managers of newspapers, es
pecially of religious papers—more es
pecially of Baptist papers.
The suggestions, eritieisims, fault
findings, threats, etc., on the part of
subscribers are some of incidental
trials, to say nothing of they editorials,
the correspondents, the selections, the
proof reading, the, press work, etc.
Having had a glimpse of these things,
by reason of my occasional visits to the
Index office, my heart has been drawn
out in sympathy to newspaper men,
especially to religious newspaper men,
more especially to The Index men.
Many thing connected with this paper
I do not know, some things I do know.
I know,
1. That the proprietors are trying
very hard to make a first-class paper.
They spare rjxither pains nor expense
to do this. tiAjst to think of SIOO worth
of stamps at one time ! At least three ,
men at the desk all day and part of thew
night! A letter written to nearly evervj
preacher in the State !
2. That they listen kindly and pa
tiently to all the suggestions, and criti
cisms, and endeavor to profit by them ;
they bear meekly the faultfindings, and
endure with fortitude the threats, and
mourn over any mistakes which they
may make, or which their brethren
think they make. „
3. They try to supply the paper with
just such matter as shall promote the
interests of the Baptists of Georgia
and the South, and advance the glory
of God.
4. They want short, newsy letters
from all parts of the State ; they want
to make The Index a medium of com
munication for Georgia Baptists.
5. I know they sometimes publish
articles which their judgment says
ought to be abridged, or go to the waste
basket, for fear of giving offense.
6. I know J. P. H., is one of the
hardest worked men in Atlanta,J and
withal, one of the cleverest: Brethren,
sympathise with The Index men; pray
for them, and —pay your subscription.
t
SCIENUE AND EDUCATION.
Eev. Dr. DeWitt Talmadge is lec
turing on public schools, and the fol
lowing are his arguments in favor of
retaining the Bible in the schodl? :
1. To decree its removal, is ta de
cree that three-fourths of the peoples
shall have no religious culture at alL 1
Millions are not in Sunday-school, ancU
can only hear of God, Christ, and
Heaven, as they hear of the'jjible in the
common school. ‘ t
2. It would be to make war on the
consciences of the people. They be
lieve in the Bible, and have built on its
foundation. A Bible conscience is the'
best conscience.
3. It is a book especially adapted to
the common schools.
4. To take the Bible'from the school*
implies the right to take out every
other book which has any religion,
morality or God in it.
5. To remove it is a slur on the book
itself.
6. The Bible is the supreme book,
and has a right to go everywhere—is a
proclamation from the Throne of God
Almighty.
7. The best patriots of the past and
of the present, have favored religion, as
Washington and Webster.
8. The common school is a child of
Protestantism, and she has a right to
do what she pleases with her own child.
You have a right to put a gold chain
around your child’s neck, and the ob
jections of strangers are not to be
heard. Protestantism has put thb
golden chain of God’s Word around
the neck of her child—the common
schools ; outsiders cannot quarrel with
her for so dressing her own child.
9. God has taken this country under
His special protection, and evidently
intends it for a Bible-reading country.
10. Secular education without re
ligious culture, is worse than none at
all. Cultivate the head alone, and you
have an infidel or atheist. Cultivate
the heart alone and you have a fanatic.
Educated villains are the curse of our
country. Christian people must waft
up and not let this contest go by ej/f
fault.
“ The Farmers Friend ”is the title of
anew paper published in Griffin, Ga.,
by S. N. Van Praag, Esq. It announ
ces as its aim the advocacy of Direct
Trade, passenger steamers between the
South and Europe ; immigration, etc.
These are all excellent objects, and We
are glad that our new contemporary
will devote his evident abilities to their
attainment.
—At a recent session of the Virginia
State Grange, held at Eichmond, Mr.
J. M. Blanton was elected Master. He
receives a salary of SSOO per' annum,
and his expenses. About two hundred
delegates were present. The Order is
reported in a prosperous condition, and
likely to accomplish much good.
—The best ground untilled, soonest
runs into rank weeds. Such are God’s
children overgrown with security, ere
they are aware, unless they be well ex
ercised, both with God’s plow of afflic
tion, and their own industry in medita
tion.
There is no path so safe as that of
duty.